Embracing Water Chapter One: Arriving in Capri
by TheDana
Summary: Mimi LaForce is special. She doesn't quite know it yet. When she is shipped off to the elite Capri International House of Night, she knows there's something up. She must overcome every obstacle to embrace her gifts. Who will aid her in her quests? Who will bring her down? You can only find out if you read this very long first chapter.


You know when the High Vamp Council ships you off to the International House of Night, you know you're gifted. Even if you didn't know it, you know now. Not to say Capri wasn't wonderful, but it was just so _far._ If your parents still cared, they could only fly out once every three months, due to the distance, and time off they would need. Anyway, I moved all the way from Toronto, to Capri, where everything shimmered with new possibility. On the sun-proofed plane, we could see the glistening ocean, deep and blue-green with wonder in midday, if any of the fledglings were awake. The other fledglings varied, but the emotions were all the same. We were somehow the crème de la creme of fledglings. The girl seated next to me was a petite Japanese girl named Mai, I knew her from a few airports before, when we landed in Japan. After picking up Mai, we had set off to Europe. We landed in Wales, Scotland, and France before setting off for Capri. The girl seated behind me was the colour of dark chocolate. She was very in tune with warrior ways, by the tone of her muscles and the way she carried herself. I knew her name was Tami; she had come from Oklahoma. The boy next to her, which I also knew as a warrior, was the Welsh named Drystan. He had dark shaggy hair and a well toned alabaster body spotted with freckles. He had a wicked sense of humour, as noted from the laughter he caused throughout the journey. The French girl spoke a variety of languages, as to be expected from a rich girl raised in Paris. She was a healer, both in body and in Shamanism. I found her very interesting. Her name was Anastaise; she was a a fifth former. She had pin straight platinum blonde hair with golden overtones and peculiar dark gray eyes. They were color of thunderclouds on a hot summer day. The final passenger caught my attention right away. His energy sung through me and filled me up. He never once said a word or looked my way, nor anyone else's. His auburn hair was thick and growing out over his green eyes. He wore two types of plaid, which I found rather peculiar. I didn't dare ask his name. He sat alone and in solitary, always taking a whetstone to his throwing daggers and claymore. He wasn't a warrior, that was for sure. If anything, he was more than just a warrior. What was he though? Why was he so special? The mysterious boy made me very curious.

Unlike other schools, the fledgling death rate is one in a hundred at Capri. Like any other House of Night, death is just a part of life; we must move on to evolve. Capri is unique in its own, giving the fledglings every possibility to excel. While some Houses may not offer every program, Capri is designed for it all. The High Priestess, Sappho, is one of the Priestess's of the Vampyre High Council. She rules her House with a magnificence of her own. Her wisdom is unmatched and her judgement is unbiased. That's at least what the brochure said when I was told that I was to be stripped from Toronto and my roommate Amber. Maybe things would be better here, away from all the hustle and bustle of the Americas. The International House of Night was home to figures like the original Sappho, not to mention the High Priestess herself, William Shakespeare, and countless other famous vampyres. Would I become that famous? Me, a girl from Canada who lived on a crumbling reservation. A girl who was daughter to a Mad Shaman? My thoughts scattered as the plane landed smoothly. I pulled out my shoulder bag and repacked my IPad which was utilized to watch Johnny Depp movies. The noise had Anastaise peeking over the seats and Mai leaning over to catch a glimpse at the coolest vampyre actor of all time. The door opened to the plane and in stepped a gorgeous young vampyre, who appeared no older than 35. She had olive skin and slightly slanted eyes. Her hair was as black as night, voluptuous and as long as hell. It was something I got used to in my first year at the Toronto House of Night. The big thing, though, that caught my eye was her amazing Mark, that looked like shattered glass, which set off her high cheekbones and angles of her face. The 'glass' shattered around the crescent as if it were the epicentre of an earthquake.

"My name is Sappho. I am your new High Priestess. Your previous Houses have seen remarkable things from you six, and in turn, you have earned a coveted place in the International House of Night, where I, and many gifted vampyres have flourished and become the best we can be." She paused, smiling at each one of us. "You have been given a great opportunity here. The sacrifices may be great, but they will be outweighed by the benefits." She glanced through the door to the fading sun. The orange set off the gold flecks in her mocha brown eyes; she looked magnificent in all her power. "Now, prepare to enter the magick that is Capri!" She raised her arms in exaltation. She then led the six of us off the plane, to the really sleek limo that awaited us.

During the ride, most of us chattered away. I learned that Mai was a fourth former, like myself. She was Marked a little before me, on the seventh of October, which happened to be my birthday. Freaky. I was Marked a few weeks later, on Samhain. Everyone said that was extremely special. I also learned thatMai was from Yokohama. She had been attending Yokohama Science Frontier High when she was Marked. She spoke clearly, her Japanese accent just made her sound all the more interesting. Anastaise was from Dijon, but transferred to Marseilles, in the South. Her French accent was as pretty as her face, which was as delicate as her ballerina frame. Sappho, who sat nearest to the driver, just smiled at all of us, especially at the Scot and I.

One thing that really bothered me throughout the whole trip was why I was chosen for Capri. I didn't have any special powers. I couldn't heal like Anastaise or fight like Drystan and Tami. So why me?

"Welcome to Capri, fledglings. My name is Nina. I am the leader of the Dark Daughters here. "She smiled genuinely. I'll be showing you all around Villa Jovis, and your dorms. You will all be roomed together, since we are even in the number of students. She beckoned for us to follow her up the stairs that led to a giant castle with fantastic pillars. It reminded me of a Greek Temple, white and pristine. You could see that the building was alive, even from this far away. The lights burned warmly inside, obviously not the crappy fluorescent lights of human schools. Nobody likes those lights. Teachers say they recreate the feeling of natural light, that is a crock of crap. If you want natural light, open a window! Problem solved. Nina moved swiftly, so we hauled our bags and tried to keep up with her pace.

A voice I recognized as Tami's piped up from behind me. "Wasn't Villa Jovis meant for Jupiter, or Zeus?"

Nina smiled again and began to explain. "Villa Jovis was created in honor of Jupiter. The High Vampyre Council restored it in Nyx's name to it's former glory. They also converted it into the main school for the Capri International House of Night. Nyx's Temple was created outside the Villa, in respect to Villa Jovis itself." She continued to walk up to the castle, nodding and greeting fledglings and Professors as she made her way inside. The foyer was amazing, with huge candelabras and Nyx's offering table dead center. Nobody stared, which made us all feel more comfortable. _How did I know that? _I thought to myself. _Maybe I'm __going crazy._ Nina kept babbling on, taking us through the winding halls of the Villa. Her tour ended almost an hour later. She then led us to the dorm rooms, explaining that they are co-ed, because fledglings are trusted to do the right thing. Drystan smiled, as did Tami. "I'll be showing you all your rooms. They've been designed as you specified in the months prior to your arrival." She stopped at door number eight. " This room is for Mai and Anastasia."

"Anastaise," Anastaise corrected in a very French manner. She seemed to not like Nina. I wondered why. I reminded myself to ask her later. We said our goodbyes to the two as we carried on.

"Room 11 is for Mr. Archer," Nina put a hand on Drystan's very muscular forearm, smiling sweetly. He smiled back as she pulled open the door for him. "And Tami." My heart sunk. I'd be stuck with the elusive Scottish boy. The two warriors grinned and high fived as they disappeared into theirroom. "Last but not least, Quinn and Mimi, you'll be in room number 14." She led us a little further down the hall. "Here we are. Do you have any more questions before I go?" I shook my head and opened the door to the room.

The room was, well. Epic. My side was orange; the color melded in the middle to form red on Quinn's side of the room. While my side consisted of hot pink and gold sparkly beads on thick, orange lightproof curtain, and a ton of complimenting accessories like a fluffy pink pillow over my scarlet bedspread with orange accents. It looked like something out of a magazine. Quinn's side was all straight lines and modern. Everything was red, white and black. Good thing the hardwood matched both of our designs, because our styles didn't. I was surprised the guy _had_ a personality. I stepped into the bathroom and gaped. It was small, but was that what a thought it was? A Vichy shower! I would've fainted if I hadn't been in the presence of a stranger. Speaking of the stranger... I closed the door to the bathroom and turned to him.

"So. Quinn, right?" I sounded really awkward, but at least I wasn't really shaky. He didn't give me the creeps, but he made me feel apprehensive. I wasn't sure how to approach.

"That's my name, lass." He said with a thick accent that wasn't too hard to understand. His sharp green eyes penetrated me straight to my soul. His accent was warm and thick, like being curled up in an afghan next to a fire on a cold winter's day. I grew up around funny accents, so his was easy to get used to.

I shifted uncomfortably, leaning on the wardrobe we shared. "Good to know." I paused and shifted again. "Um, why are you here?"

He looked at me and sighed. "I was studyin' on Skye, an' I became a Guardian. _They_," He emphasized, "begged for me, so I came." He messed up his auburn hair that was growing thick and walked to the bathroom. Quinn paused for a moment to look at me. "Need the bath, lassie?" He asked? I shook my head while opening my bag to search for my sleep shorts and a tank top. It had been a long night, and dawn was fast approaching. I laid down in my bed after shutting off all lights but Quinn's lamp. I closed my eyes with uncertainty. I didn't trust Quinn to not kill me in my sleep. Even with the uncomfortable feeling I got from him, I ended up being lulled asleep by the sound of water hitting the tiles of that heavenly Vichy shower.

My dream started foggy, like a mist had just enveloped me. It was what I imagined being in a cloud would feel like. The air was dense and heavy, totally not good for my hair. I moved through the dense cloud-like stuff slowly. It made me giggle. and the sound my laughter made came out in color, changing the cloud encasing me to bright oranges and yellow. After playing around with (really dorky) sounds, I heard it.

"Daughter. Come to me, my Daughter." The voice sounded like leaves on the wind, or grass on the plains. I called out, but the voice repeated. I started running through the thick fog toward the voice. The fog dissipated some as a woman walked up to me. Her beauty was otherworldly. Her hair was like mine, raven black, thick and wavy; her's wouldn't dare to nap up on her. Her skin was a light golden olive, like mine, but much lighter. I'd spent my life in the sun, and it was apprarent that this woman had not.

"Nyx!" I exclaimed as I recognized her at once. I had only ever seen the Goddess once before, in a dream I had before I was Marked. I bowed respectfully to her, with my fist over my heart.

Nyx smiled at me warmly before embracing me. I felt truly at home. "My Daughter. I have watched you grow, but you never see your potential." Her smile faded as she pulled away. The dream continued, constisting of Nyx instructing me to "embrace her gifts". I didn't understand. Was this why I was sent to Capri? Was I really gifted by Nyx?

**NOTE: I do not own the House of Night books, or the original characters. I wish I had come up with the idea, but alas, I did not. You will see names of original characters pop up in later instalments. I intend to make this a long-standing series going on here. I heart reviews and constructive criticism. It all helps in my quest for awesome writing!**

**OH YEAH, on that note, if you want an OC in this story, don't hesitate to PM me with the details, including friend or foe. The more detailed the description, the more chances your OC will be a repeated character. I will PM you back about when you will be able to see your OC in my work. **

**Thanks all!**

**-TheDana**


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